The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-12-18
ALL ABOUT COFFEE.

| To the Editor OF the Indianapolis Journals:
| Probably no article OF food or drink has grown
| go rapidly in value within year or two as
| coffee. The price is getting to be serious
| matter. of the most important to the habit
| ual coffee drinker, and with your permission
viii try to solve the problem of high prices. and
at the same time give a condensed history OF
coffee and the coffee trade, for all inter
ested in the fragrant cup that stimulates, re-
freshes and restores. and at the same time is
non-inebriatinc. The first authentic history OF
coffee and coffee houses is found in Macaulay's
History Of England. Vol I, pages 341-2-34 II
IS very good reading. and carries you back to
London as 1t ives 200 years ago. The London
coffee-house was the parent Of the club, and
through the club came the daily press. The pot
of coffee that Addison and his friend, Sir Rodger
De Coverly. smoked pipe over at 'Squire's, u
came from one of two countries-Arabia or
Java-and from them come our finest grades to-
day. At one time, through Turkey, the coffee
OF Arabia had a great sale, but when the island
of Java put forth resources under the slim ulat-
ing hand of Holland. the foremost coffee of
Arabia encountered q rival that has steadily
gained pace, and now ranks high in the
markets of the world Mocha. Next to Java
and Mocha stands Maricaibo, South American
coffee, the finer grades much resembling the
Java in appearance, and possessing much Of the
flavor of Java, for which it is often put up in
Java mats and sold to the uninitiated. The
same thing 10 done with Ceylon, as it makes q
good imitation of Mocha until the consumer il in
the same narrowing state of uncertainty that he
naturally feels when paying four dollars for
bottle of wine. Does some one ask how can
tell the genuine from the imitation In the
same way only that expert banker tells q
genuine bill from a good counterfeit-by long
study and practice. There is great safeguard,
however, in making you- purchases of houses
that cannot be deceived, and will not impose on
their customers. Next to Maricoibo and Cey-
lon. rank Laguayra and the better grades of
Santos and Rio. and it is these coffees that are
most frequently quoted. and form three-fourths
OF all tue coffee consumed in this country. Turn
TO the market reports IN your daily paper and
you Will find the first six quotations reading,
ordinary, fair" good" prime" "choce."
and fancy" In every cargo that comes to this
country are found the six varieties and some
more that are too mean to quote expose for
sale to the consumer in their natural unroasted
bad trash, too They are known as roasting
grades, and mostly in pound packages go to
every store in the land-outside of Indianapolis.
Ihere are sofne good package coffees il there
wall
Coffses are graded after they arrive, and are
ColIee Exchange on margins, the same as wheat.
pork ana Lard in that wicked city. Chicago.
rms Is one reason why you paying double
Tor coffee than You paid, say two years ago
some have tripled in price The Coffee Ex-
change. however, is not entirely the cause
Iweuty years the consumption OF coffee was
1S4. DOC, 600 pounds in the United States. This,
In ten years, was only increased three million
pounds. The tax went the next year, and
the consumption dropped one-half, and less
than half in 1863 The same falling off is occur
al
sumption for 1887 over 1886 is 60 600 tons; that
for 1856 over 1888 nearly as great Now here 10
Q tremendous shrinkage, yet what do we sect
The estimated stock in the country Dec. |, 1887,
was seventy tons less than on Dec 1. 1856
Ia not that close work. Il shows that while
there has been very great falling off in the
consumption, there has been a corresponding
failure in the crops for the past two years. The
prices you are now paying fer coffee would look
small if the consum ption had continued.
Well. how about the new crop, Just coming INF
There is every promise of it being large one,
as we have heard nothing of failure. So live
in hope. In the mean while, coffee is high,
is it not more satisfactory to buy good coffees,
and get some satisfaction for your money! No
rational dealer will cheaper or lower his quality,
but advance with or drop with the market, tax
ing even more pains than ever to hold his trade
by holding up the grade
While on the subject of coffee, let me say a
word about the making of coffee, not for the
benefit of matrons but more to help the young
housewives. 1t 10 a lamentable fact that much
good coffee is spoiled in the making: and hers is
the place TO say word about mixed coffess.
The French noted for their coffee They
always blend them, and very careful to have
them freshly roasted. The truth IL coffee-a
good article of coffee-is not fit to drink after
being roasted ten days. and every day you
shorten this time You add 10 per cent to its
value This, however, only applies 20 good
grades. You cannot spoil a poor grade. There
are over us patent coffee pots, all claiming
some valuable virtue. A good old-fashioned tin
or Brittania coffee pot, with without copper
bottom, all you want for small family.
Vans coffee urn is invaluable for hotel or res
taurant, and all hrst-class have one or more;
but they expensive. and you do not need
one. They are adapted where coffee has to be
served from one TO TWO hours The writer had
look at to remember the donor by. The French
Coffee pot exists over in France only in name;
they use for small family ono ike ours, that
costs one dollar. Scald the pot out first and
mix for cup heaping tablespoonful of
ground coffee, with half the white of one egg;
mix thoroughly, adding little water. pour on
the freshly boiling water in the proportion Of q
pint cup full to each tablespoonful OF ground
coffee, and set it slow fire. and allow il to
come to boil naturally in five six minutes,
and then bring it to the table in the same uten-
sill, keeping down the lid and spout-lid il it has
one. until you pour it into the cream and sugar
in the cup. These should go into the cup before
the coffee Remember that stale boiled water
makes stale coffee. 1t is related that young
English lord. sitting down to breakfast In q
French cafe; happened to overhear the one op-
posite order a of coffee and q roll with milk.
Being John Bull he blurted ont that coffee,
milk and roll made COMPOUNDED poor break
fast, whereupon the other challenged him.
Leaving the table, they exchanged shots, and
MIR. Bull was wounded in the arm, and all par
his fine. he addressed the judge, saying: II
still persist that coffee. milk and" ''Why,
so do |" said the judge. bursting with laughter.
which was contagious that all joined in-the
principals shook hands and went back Co break
fast. H. II. L.